To improve services for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country side, the Department of Trade and Industry- Region 1 (DTI-R1), thru its provincial offices in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur opened additional Negosyo Centers (NCs) in the municipalities of Pinili, Marcos, Pagudpud and Sarrat (Ilocos Norte) and Sta. Maria, San Emilio (Ilocos Sur).
All the NCs launched are model B facilities that have a reception area, consultation and meeting rooms. The launching programs were graced by Regional Director (RD) Grace Falgui-Baluyan, Assistant RD Daria R. Mingaracal, Provincial Director (PD) Grace Lapastora and PD Rosario Quodala and the local government unit (LGU) Local Chief Executives. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos-Manotoc also joined the launching in Pinili.
The enactment of Republic Act No. 10644, also known as the GoNegosyo Act, fortified the policy of the State to foster national development, promote inclusive growth and reduce poverty by encouraging the development of MSMEs. This law provides for the establishment of NCs under the supervision of the MSME Development Council, which shall encourage public-private partnerships in the establishment and management of said centers.
On her message, Dir. Baluyan reiterated that one of the goals of the NC is to bring the government services closer to the people. “The establishment of Negosyo Center will encourage more enterprises to register or scale-up their businesses. As we create more businesses, there will be more employment opportunities for the people, thereby, leading to economic prosperity in said municipalities,” she added.
As the core of DTI’s thrust towards promoting MSME growth and development, NCs will be established in every province, city and municipality nationwide. To date, there are already 1,192 NCs nationwide, 72 of which are in Region 1. A total of 17 additional NCs are targeted to open in the region this year.
The NCs provide the following basic services: business registration assistance; business advisory services; business information and advocacy; and monitoring and evaluation of business-process improvement.
Along with the opening of NCs in Ilocos Norte, DTI also distributed livelihood kits to qualified beneficiaries in Batac City and municipalities of Pinili, Pagudpud and Marcos. This is part of the Livelihood Seeding Program- Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) of DTI. Through the program, beneficiaries were given livelihood kits amounting to P8,000 that contains items that could aid them to restore and improve their businesses in spite of catastrophic events like natural and human-induced calamities including health disasters like epidemics and pandemic. ♦
Date of Release: 14 October 2021